THIRD EYE: Aspesi is dipping its toes into eyewear, embracing the category via a partnership with area of interest Italian brand Retrosuperfuture.

In combining each brands’ quintessentially Milanese roots, the capsule comprises two sunglass styles and a jacket.

Retrosuperfuture’s signature Milano sunglasses, inspired by the sleek frames of the Fifties, have been rendered in a black acetate frame with matching black lenses and a silver frame and mirror lenses versions. They each include a unusual touch, a 3rd eye-shaped enamel within the eyewear’s internal bridge.

Similarly, the cobranded overshirt, inspired by Aspesi’s Mod. 13 padded jacket, has been reinvented for the collaboration, rendered in a double faced nylon version crafted from a light-weight Japanese technical fabric on one side and from olive green shiny nylon on the opposite, the latter face bearing a hand-sewn orange patch on the back with details on the capsule collection.

“It is claimed that a military uniform is an emblem of a soldier’s identity, while sunglasses provide a veil of obscurity, allowing one to witness the world without revealing their true self. And yet, when a 3rd eye is nestled throughout the frame of those shades, the world becomes anew — a kaleidoscope of colours, perspectives, and possibilities, waiting to be seen through a distinct lens,” said Lawrence Steele, creative director of Aspesi since 2021.

“In bringing together the military uniform and sunglasses, adorned with a 3rd eye, one embodies the very essence of an adventurer — daring to unearth latest outlooks while safeguarding their identity, as they wander into uncharted territories,” he added.

Hitting Retrosuperfuture’s and Aspesi’s retail channels starting Monday, the gathering retails between 260 euros for sunglasses and 460 euros for the overshirt.

“Growing up in Milan within the late ‘80s, I at all times loved Aspesi’s ability to be so minimally essential yet so playfully fresh,” said Sean Michael Beolchini, creative director at Retrosuperfuture. “We were thrilled about working with such an iconic brand and a creative director whom we respect so very similar to Lawrence Steele.”

Founded in 2007 by Daniel Beckerman, Retrosuperfuture received a majority investment from Renzo Rosso’s family investment vehicle Red Circle in 2019. The brand has developed a spread of collaborations through the years with high-end labels including Off-White, Paco Rabanne, APC, Carhartt and Vans. This week it ventured into gaming by forging ties with Razer, the Irvine, California-based lifestyle brand geared on the gaming community, as reported.